Full-Time & Part-Time Care in Coquitlam is built around one honest idea. Your work week isn't the same as your neighbour's, and your daycare shouldn't force it to be. Love Kids runs full-time and part-time spots side by side in the same small licensed group, so shift-working parents, 4-day-week parents, and standard Monday-to-Friday parents all get real childcare that fits the days they actually work.
We've been at 3007 Pasture Cir for 16+ years. Full-time means five days a week, 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. Part-time means a fixed 2 or 3 days a week inside those same hours. Same ECE-certified caregiver, same routine, same BC Early Learning Framework activities. Only the day-count on your invoice changes.
Right now we're enrolling ages 3 and up for both tiers. Families in Coquitlam and neighbouring Ranch Park often book part-time first and expand to full-time once parental leave wraps. Whichever way your year is shaped, we can usually build a schedule around it.
What Full-Time and Part-Time Look Like Day to Day
The clock is the clock. Whether your child is here five days or two, they walk into the same routine. Predictable is what makes small kids feel safe, and safe kids actually learn. Here's the daily rhythm both full-time and part-time families are buying into at our Coquitlam program:
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 7:30 am to 8:30 am | Arrival and free play. Full-time and part-time kids drop in on the same window, the room fills at the same pace. |
| 8:30 am to 9:00 am | Morning snack together. Table manners, taking turns, calm conversation. |
| 9:00 am to 10:30 am | Circle time and structured learning. Letters, numbers, sensory bins, early literacy. |
| 10:30 am to 11:30 am | Outdoor time in the yard. Gross motor play, weather-appropriate gear, Coquitlam rain or Coquitlam sun. |
| 11:30 am to 12:15 pm | Lunch as a group. Warm, balanced meal packed from home. |
| 12:15 pm to 2:30 pm | Rest and quiet time. Nappers sleep on their own mat, non-nappers do quiet independent activities. |
| 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm | Afternoon block. Dramatic play, art, building, or a second outdoor session when the weather cooperates. |
| 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm | Snack and pickup. Full-time parents pick up, part-time parents pick up, all the same door, all the same recap. |
The clock stays the same. The content rotates. A part-time child on Monday-Wednesday-Friday still slots into the routine on day one. That's the point of a small stable group.
How the Full-Time and Part-Time Tiers Work Here
Full-time: five days, one flat monthly fee
Full-time is Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. One monthly fee covers the whole month, statutory holidays and family vacations included. You're not billed per-day and not penalized when your child stays home sick. Full-time is our biggest cohort because most Coquitlam households run a standard Monday-to-Friday week.
Part-time: 2 or 3 fixed days a week
Part-time is a set schedule of either 2 or 3 days, chosen at enrollment and held for the year. Most part-time families land on Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday because those combinations give the child a predictable pattern. Billing is prorated to your day-count. Fewer days, smaller invoice.
Same ECE-certified team, same room
Every caregiver at Love Kids holds a valid Early Childhood Educator certification from the BC Ministry of Children and Family Development. Full-time and part-time kids sit in the same small licensed group with the same person. No separate part-time room, no rotating float staff, no watered-down programming.
School District 43 kindergarten prep works either way
The BC Early Learning Framework activities we run map directly to what SD43 kindergarten teachers expect a five-year-old to arrive with. Full-time kids get five doses a week, part-time kids get two or three. Both paths land the child at kindergarten ready to sit in a circle, follow a two-step direction, and manage their own boots.
Why Coquitlam Parents Choose Our Full-Time & Part-Time Care
Real schedule flexibility for shift-working parents
Coquitlam has a lot of parents working non-standard weeks. Fraser Health nurses, warehouse shift-workers, trades on 4-and-3 rotations, retail managers with mid-week days off. A 5-day-only daycare doesn't fit that life. Part-time in a licensed program does.
Same small licensed group, capped by BC ratios
BC licensing caps a preschool group at 8 children per ECE. That cap holds whether the room is full-time kids, part-time kids, or a mix. Your part-time child is not squeezed into a bigger, noisier setting. Same small group, same real attention, same caregiver by week two.
16+ years of running mixed schedules
Sixteen years of running a licensed program means we've built schedules for every kind of family. Two-doctor households, single-parent shift workers, grandparents doing mid-week pickup. We've seen it, we've made it work, and we'll tell you honestly if the days you want don't currently exist on our roster.
Real Coquitlam location, easy from every direction
We're at 3007 Pasture Cir, minutes from the Lougheed corridor and quick to reach from River Springs, Eagle Ridge, and Oxford Heights. A part-time drop-off before a shift shouldn't cost 30 extra minutes.
Fees, Subsidies, and What's Included
Full-time and part-time care at Love Kids is billed monthly. Full-time is a flat monthly fee for five days a week. Part-time is prorated by day-count, so a 3-day schedule costs less than a 5-day one. Both tiers include snacks, structured programming, outdoor play, rest time, and daily communication with parents at pickup. You pack lunch and outdoor gear.
Two provincial reductions apply to both tiers and come straight off your monthly fee. The Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI) is automatic, no application needed from you. The Affordable Child Care Benefit (ACCB) is income-based and requires a family application through the Province of BC. If your household qualifies, ACCB can cover a significant chunk of the monthly fee, sometimes all of it.
The provincial math often surprises part-time families the most. A prorated fee combined with CCFRI plus ACCB can drop the monthly out-of-pocket to a very small number. We'll walk you through both on your tour. Some families using our subsidized child care program pay very little once both reductions stack.
Nine things Coquitlam parents should know about full-time and part-time care
Sixteen years of building schedules for working families in Coquitlam, these are the things we find ourselves saying on nearly every tour.
- Part-time is not second-tier. Same room, same caregiver, same BC Early Learning Framework activities. Only the invoice changes. Don't accept a program that separates part-time kids into a worse setup.
- Fixed days beat rotating days. Kids do better when they know Tuesday is a school day. A set weekly pattern of Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday beats a flexible mix every time.
- Ask for the day-count math up front. A good part-time program shows you the prorated monthly rate before you enroll. If they can't or won't, that's a flag.
- Apply for ACCB before your first invoice. The Affordable Child Care Benefit application takes a few weeks. Start it the day you enroll and your first month often reflects the reduction. Both tiers qualify on the same income scale.
- Book the tour at pickup, not mid-morning. Between 4:30 and 5:30 pm you see tired kids being managed calmly and real end-of-day handoffs. A calm pickup hour tells you more than any brochure.
- Pack two full changes of clothes even for part-time days. Coquitlam puddle season runs October through May. Boots and splash pants live in the cubby from the first rainy day.
- Start mid-week, not Monday. A Wednesday or Thursday first day gives your child a short taste, then a weekend to process it. Five straight days is a lot for a new starter.
- Ask about staff continuity across tiers. A big centre will sometimes assign part-time kids to a rotating caregiver. Ask directly, will the same ECE be with my child every day my child is here?
- Meet the caregiver before you sign. Your child spends more waking hours with this person than with you on the days they're here. A five-minute conversation on your tour is worth more than any glossy website.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between full-time and part-time care at Love Kids?
Full-time care is five days a week, Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. Part-time care is a smaller day-count in the same week, most commonly two or three fixed days. The program, the caregiver, the routine, and the ECE-certified staff are identical. Only the day-count changes. Your child sits in the same small licensed group either way.
Do part-time kids get the same daily program as full-time kids?
Yes. Same circle time, same outdoor block, same lunch, same rest window, same BC Early Learning Framework activities. A part-time child walking in on a Tuesday steps into the exact same routine as the child who was there Monday. That consistency is why the small licensed group works. Part-time is not a watered-down version, it's fewer days of the real thing.
Can I pick which days of the week for part-time care?
You pick the days, we confirm what's available. Most part-time families settle on either Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday because those combos give the child a predictable week. We keep the day-mix balanced across the group so the room stays at a consistent size each day. Ask about openings for the specific days you need.
What if my schedule changes? Can I move between full-time and part-time?
Yes, subject to availability. If you're part-time now and want to go full-time in September, tell us as early as you can and we'll hold the extra days. Going the other way, full-time down to part-time, we ask for a month of notice so we can offer the freed days to a waitlisted family. Life changes, we're flexible with families who communicate.
Do you offer drop-in or casual days for part-time families?
Not really. Our licensed capacity is fixed, so a casual drop-in isn't guaranteed on any given day. What we do offer is a fixed part-time schedule the child can count on. If you need occasional extra coverage, ask us at drop-off. If we have room that day we can usually accommodate, billed separately.
Is part-time care cheaper than full-time?
Yes, part-time is prorated based on your day-count. A three-day-a-week spot costs less than a five-day spot. Both tiers qualify for the same provincial reductions, the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI) is automatic and the Affordable Child Care Benefit (ACCB) is income-based. We'll walk through the exact math on your tour.
I work shifts. Can you cover evenings or weekends?
Our licensed hours are Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. Those are the only hours we operate. Shift-working parents usually pair us with a family member or a nanny for the evening or weekend piece. If your day shift falls inside our hours, we're a good fit. If you're overnight, we're not the right answer.
My child is under 3. Can I get part-time infant or toddler care?
Not right now. All three of our licensed under-3 spots are full, both full-time and part-time. Full-time and part-time care in that age group only opens when a spot turns over. Join the waitlist by calling (604) 338-8020 and we'll call the moment one comes free. Enrolling ages 3 and up today.
How do I book a tour to see the full-time and part-time schedules?
Call (604) 338-8020 or email lovekidsdaycare@outlook.com. Tours run best at pickup, roughly 4:30 to 5:30 pm, because you see the real day winding down and can ask about which days have openings. We're at 3007 Pasture Cir in Coquitlam, close to Ranch Park and easy to reach from Port Coquitlam, Mary Hill, and Oxford Heights.